The Paubox Kahikina Scholarship helps Native Hawaiian students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and Tech in general. Its purpose is to offer financial support and create a strong network for these students. The scholarship makes education more affordable and connects students with professionals, giving them valuable opportunities to learn and grow in their chosen STEM or Tech fields. This scholarship is about more than just money; it's about building a community and empowering Native Hawaiian students to succeed in STEM or Tech careers.

See also: The big ideas behind the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship

 

Cashel Akana, a 2024 scholarship recipient, just completed their second year at Oregon State University. Here is a word from Cashel Akana:

“Hello, my name is Cashel Akana and I just wrapped up my second year at Oregon State University. This year was super busy and full of big events, and I’m excited to share it all.

In the new school year, I ended up staying in the dorms with my roommate from last year. She invited some of her friends to be our suitemates, all of whom are in the College of Engineering. It was great to be around friends and class peers even when not in class. Although I didn’t know them that well when the term started, we all grew close pretty quickly! They even surprised me for my birthday, which was really sweet of them. Also during fall term, my family was in California for my brother’s birthday, so I took a weekend to go down and hang out with them.

In my first term, I was struggling to manage all of my 18 credits of classes while also experiencing my first difficult class in college: Vector Calculus. Math has never been my favorite, and I’ve always struggled with learning new concepts in math from textbooks. At the same time I was juggling my first physics class, which wasn’t difficult in content, but was a very heavy course load. To help ensure my success I ended up dropping Japanese Language, which I was taking for my minor. Looking back, it was the right decision, but I do need to eventually pick it back up to complete my minor. Thankfully, I finished the fall term without too much issue, and got some home time for the holidays.

Winter term went by very smoothly in comparison to Fall. All of my classes were more manageable, and I could slow down and enjoy the term a bit more. I started working on my own individual projects within one of the clubs I’m in, Chem-E Car. I’m on the Mechanical Team, and I was specifically tasked with designing the chemical delivery system. This takes one portion of chemicals to another flask filled with a different set of chemicals to be mixed by a magnetic stir stick. This portion of chemicals triggers a color-change phenomenon that is used with a photosensor to stop the car. I had a lot of fun designing it, and was excited to see how it would fit in with the rest of the car’s pieces.

For Spring Term, I had a lot going on. I applied and interviewed for MECOP (Multiple Engineering Cooperative Program), a very competitive internship program in Oregon. I was struggling in math again (this time Differential Equations), and I ended up dropping my math class because I wasn’t meshing well with the teaching style of my professor. On the bright side, I signed up for a Dinnerware Ceramics class that went by great and I was able to make a few dishes for my apartment next year! The entire car in my Chem-E Car club also had a fully working run and I got to table at the college’s Engineering Expo on the club’s behalf. The term finished off without a hitch and I can finally say I’m done with Physics. For the summer term I signed up to take Differential Equations with a different professor, and I think it will be better since I already understand a good half of the content.

When the term was over my dad flew down to help me move out of the dorm, and then we stayed with family in Seattle for a few days. While staying there, I found out that I was accepted into the MECOP internship program! I’ve wanted to get into this program since before I even committed to Oregon State, and to get in is truly a dream come true.

So, with my second year of college at a close, I’m already looking forward to next fall. I’ll be in a new apartment living with my friend, I’ll get to go to my first internship at the beginning of spring, and I’ll continue to get to learn a lot of cool new things! For now though, I’m going to focus on my summer classes and enjoy time with my family.”

Read more: Paubox Kahikina Scholarship Recipient Reflection | Cashel Akana